This place is known of one of the sacred places on which the drops of the nectar of life fell from the magic pot of Lord Brahma when Lord Shiva hit the arrow. This is how the Shivalinga was formed here. The four other places are- Tirudharasuram, Naganathar temple, Tiruvorgam, Tirupadalavanam.

The prime deity here is Lord Shiva and his consort called Brihathsundarakujambigai or Nanmulayinayaki. This temple is considered to be equal to Kasi. History links this temple to a very early Pandya King, Varaguna pandyan. Later it was renovated by the Cholas and the Nayakas and much later by the Marathas.

There is another legendary story of this temple which speaks about Varaguna Pandyan being cursed by the spirit of a Brahmin, who was perished by his horse while coming back from a hunting trip. It is said that the king went to pray to the temple to get rid of the curse as instructed to him by lord Somaskanda in a dream and he was instructed by Mahalingaswamy to leave the temple through the west gate. Thus, he was freed from the Brahmin’s curse. It is still believed that anyone exiting the temple from the main door is cursed by the spirit.

The temple has three different pathways or praharams known as- the asvamedha praharam, kodumudi praharam and the pranava praharam. It is said that offering prayers in these pathways can give you relief from all your pain and sadness in life. Other than the main deity the other deities here are- Viswanathar, Rishipureeswarar, Atmanather and Chokkanathar.

The Maruda Maram is the holy tree here. This temple is said to be 20000 years old and has inscriptions of Hoysala and vijayanagara kings. The temple is also called Idai Maruthu, which means centre of Marudur. The wall inscriptions are from the rule of KulothungacholaI. They include writings about surveys and developments made inside the temple. There are also names and histories of queens written on the walls. The names of the three queens were- Dinachintamani, Elisaivallabhi and Tyagavalli.

The temple is also famous for its link with the history of the Devadasi tradition. In this dancers were donated to the temple and the gods. There are also inscriptions about the functions, occasions, dances and entertainment which used to be put up during those times.

The temple has a 5 tier structure with a huge area. This place is known as one of the holiest Shiva temples in the world. There are 5 tanks built inside the temole premises known as- Karunyamirdha Theertham, Soma Teertham, Kanaga Teertham, Kalyana Teertham, Iravatha teertham. There are also idols of Pattinathar and Bhadragiriyar in the eastern and western gateways.

There is a completely separate shrine for Lord Mookambiga which is built in northern architectural styles. A Saiva Siddhantha library inside the temple has an amazing collection of old manuscripts and palm leaves.

There are beautiful motifs of lotus beams on the walls of the temple. The shrines of Muruga and Nataraja both have these kinds of designs on their walls. There are lovely halls inside the temple. This temple is one of the most visited temples of the region.

All in all, this place is not only an important place of worship but also a perfect destination for history buffs as a walk through the temple will help you get an insight into the life and rule of the royals of this region many years ago.

• The Poosam festival is the best time you can visit the temple.
• Shoes are allowed inside.
• Photography is allowed inside.

• Nearest airport is Tiruchirappaly
• Nearest rail station is Kumbanokam
• Bus no. SH 64 to Thiruvidaimarudur

• The Hot Oven
• Pizza Hut
• Cafe Coffee day
• McDonald’s
• Nisarga
• Mary Browns
• Baskin Robbins
• Beijing Bites
• Pizza Corner

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